Hyderabad: City celebrates Sadar Festival with gusto

Hyderabad: The ‘Sadar Festival’, a carnival of buffaloes, is annually celebrated by the Yadav community. The ‘Sadar Festival’, also known as DunnapothulaPandaga, was celebrated by the Yadav community on a grand note on Tuesday with thousands participating in the programme showcasing ‘Bulls’ by the Yadav community.

Sadar Festival is celebrated on the second day of Diwali when Lord Rama defeated the demon Ravana and returned to Ayodhya after 14 years. The Sadar Festival is also known as ‘DunnapothulaPanduga’. The festival ‘SadarSammelan’ is celebrated on a grand note in the city. The first day of celebrations was at Risala Bazar at Bolarum and Khairatabad on Monday and the biggest SadarSammelan was on Tuesday at Narayanguda. The festival was also celebrated in Shaikpet, Saidabad, Ameerpet, Amberpet, Bowenpally, Hayatnagar, Nagole, Karwan and Begum Bazar.

According to the organisers, Buffaloes from across the country make their presence felt in the congregation. However, it will be mostly from Haryana and Punjab, who will rule the roost with their gigantic frames and majestic appearances.

The celebration also includes other hefty bulls, including the 6.5 feet tall king from Punjab and Haryana. During the event, the buffaloes are decorated with oil, painted with bright colors, garlands around the neck, anklets (gajjalu) on their feet, sea-shell bands with bells around the neck or foreheads and also adorned with peacock feathers on their horns. The procession that starts at Musheerabad will culminate at Narayanaguda.

Nand Kishore Yadav, one of the Bull organisers, said that SadarSammelan is the Yadav community’s oldest festival.

These buffaloes or bulls show tricks which their masters have trained them, like balancing on their hind legs. The animals are intimidated to stand up on their hind legs, which makes for a grand show and amusement for the crowd.

The bull’s diet comprises milk, fruits, dry fruits, cotton seed cake, and sugarcane. Krishna bull consumes 10 - 15 liters of milk every day and 40 to 50 apples or four to five dozen bananas and one kg of cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios and raisins.